


A Morning Interlude

by TantalumCobalt



Series: Family Bonds [4]
Category: James Bond (Movies), Mission: Impossible (Movies)
Genre: Benji is a James Bond fan, Bonding, Brothers, Ethan is confused, First Meeting, Friendship, Gen, Inside jokes, Tea
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-05
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-28 10:10:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10090874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TantalumCobalt/pseuds/TantalumCobalt
Summary: Will has a coffee tea "date". His teammates are curious.





	

**Author's Note:**

> For Zoe9, who wanted the IMF team to meet James. I hope it lives up to your expectations :)

A day. That's how long Hunley grants them before he expects their return to D.C. to figure out what's going to happen now that this whole Syndicate mess has been brought into the open. All their stuff is still in the loft so they drag themselves back there after delivering their package and collapse on various surfaces to sleep off the adrenaline crash and general mission-induced fatigue - not to mention the jet lag that only Brandt seems to be completely over. 

In the morning, Ethan hunts down some breakfast and returns to find only Benji and Luther up and about.

"Where's Brandt?" he asks, doubtful that the analyst is still sleeping.

Luther shrugs. "Went out."

Meeting with Hunley, perhaps? That's the sort of thing Brandt would go out for at - a glance at his watch - seven-thirty in the morning. Ethan would be impressed by his single-minded focus on the (unfortunately nonexistent) IMF if he wasn't concerned that-

"He said something about a coffee date."

He blinks at Benji before uttering a surprised, "What?"

The tech specialist shrugs. "That's what I thought. Who on earth could he be meeting for coffee at seven thirty in the morning?" He tilts his head as he thinks about it. "Actually, who does he even _know_ in London?"

Luther takes that opportunity to add his own bright ideas to the conversation. "We could follow him and find out." 

Ethan should really not be okay with this... But he has to admit that he's more than a little curious. So Benji tracks Brandt's phone to a small coffee shop in Southwark. As team leader, he's obliged to point out that this is an unnecessary invasion of their friend's privacy and that they should feel terrible about themselves for even considering it.

Then they find the closest taxi stand and go to Southwark. It takes about ten minutes to track down the right coffee shop and after a not-so-casual walk past, they set themselves up in a park - more like a few metre of grass with some flowers and a decorative bench - across the street. Perfect view through the coffee shop's windows.

"Brandt's on a coffee date with a guy?" Benji asks, sounding slightly disappointed beneath his curiousity. What was he expecting? A covert romance with a gorgeous femme fatale? "Wait, is Brandt gay?!"

Ethan lets his friends muse on that for several seconds before bursting their speculative bubbles. "I'm pretty sure he has a girlfriend."

"Only pretty sure?"

"Mostly sure," he amends.

"Only mostly-?"

" _Definitely_ sure."

There's a moment of silence before Luther picks up the line of questioning. "How d'you know?"

Ethan rolls his eyes at their persistence. "I overheard him talking on the phone to someone called Nat. Apologising for missing an anniversary or something."

"Oh."

The silence reigns for several minutes. Benji pulls out a pair of high tech binoculars and they take turns spying on the duo across the street. They're sitting away from the window, almost out of sight near the back. It makes it hard to get details, but Ethan mentally goes over what they do know: Brandt's companion is older, with short blonde hair, dressed similarly in dark jeans and a jacket. Vaguely familiar.

He passes the binoculars to Luther as he muses over their connection. Friends? Maybe.

The sharp trill of Ethan's phone makes Benji jump. **Brandt** , the display proclaims. Well fuck. They've been made.

\--

It's been... how long? Eight months? Nine? Maybe longer since he last saw his brother. The eldest one, that is; he saw Clint two weeks ago (before he threw himself off the deep end with Ethan bloody Hunt. Again.). So he texts James, finds out that "yes, William, I am in London. Why? Are you in town? Should I be worried about bridges blowing up?", and arranges to catch up.

The coffee shop is small, quiet and known to both of them so it's the obvious choice. Clint first found the place while waiting for an extraction after a mission and the next time they were all in London he'd dragged them all there for a bit of family bonding. That was several years ago now and since then it's become their regular meeting spot.

It's not quite opening time yet, but the elderly couple who own the shop, Martin and Sue, know them by now and they're happy to make an exception. They choose a table in the back and order tea (because "you're in my country, William, and I refuse to let you order that shit you call coffee"), waiting until the friendly owners are occupied in the kitchen area before starting their conversation.

"Mission accomplished?" James opens with, tone amused beneath the sarcasm.

Will rolls his eyes. "More or less." He takes a sip of tea. "What about you? Any megalomaniacs threatening your retirement yet?"

His brother gives him a flat stare. "Taking leave is not the same thing as retirement, William." A sip of his tea. "But no, the megalomaniacs have been keeping their distance."

"I'm glad one of us has had an unexciting week."

A smile curves the edges of James' mouth, smoothing out the lines that are beginning to make themselves at home on his face. Will wasn't joking about retirement; whether he likes it or not, James is starting to get a bit old for the spy game. He's only had his eldest brother around for a decade (give or take a few years) and he'd rather not lose him just yet because he doesn't react to a threat as quickly as he once would have. Not that James takes any of the jibes about his age as anything other than brotherly teasing.

"Yes, I heard about your attempt on the Prime Minister's life," he says.

Will shrugs. "You can take that one up with Ethan," he mutters. "I was just the-"

"Most impost important part of the plan," James cuts in.

He frowns. "You don't have to sound so proud about me pretending to betray my friends and lying to my boss."

James snorts. "It's just nice to know that you haven't lost your acting skills as well as your observation skills while sitting behind a desk."

Will's eyes narrow. "There's nothing wrong with my observation skills."

"Then how come you haven't noticed our spies across the street?" James challenges. "They're not exactly subtle."

"That's because Ethan Hunt doesn't do subtle," Will retorts. His eyes flick to the window then back to his brother's face. "Not seeing them as a threat isn't the same thing as not seeing them at all."

James relaxes back in his seat, accepting Will's assessment with a short nod. "Are they the team I worked with that week we broke into Stark's tower?"

"We didn't break in," he corrects automatically. They _were_ invited, after all (in a manner of speaking). "But yeah, Ethan and Benji were. You haven't met Luther though."

His brother nods, considering that. He finishes his cup of tea and pours another, adding a dash of milk and watching the colours swirl together.

"It's cold outside," he says after a minute. "You should invite them in."

Will stares at him like he's grown a second head. "What? Why?"

James gives him a look that has become increasingly familiar over the years. It's his Big Brother Look, according to Clint, which is just a shade off his Agent 007 Look, and it could mean anything from 'you should do as I tell you' to 'how have you managed to survive this long without me?'. Right now it means something along the lines of 'do you always question orders?' (the answer to which is a sharp "only the stupid ones").

"Are you going to keep us a secret forever?"

_Yes!_ Will wants to exclaim. Instead, he raises a single sardonic brow and says, "You're the one who said they didn't need to know."

"Because they weren't your friends then," James counters with all the logic of a superior older sibling. It's irksome. "But now they are, so you should call Ethan Hunt and tell him to get his arse - and those of his companions - in here where it's warm."

So Will sighs, resigns himself to his fate, dials Ethan's number, and repeats those exact words.

\--

It takes Ethan exactly three seconds to place the familiar face of Brandt's companion once he, Benji and Luther have sat down in the little coffee shop. The old woman who owns the shop bustles over to take orders of tea and coffee, smiling at Brandt like he's her long lost son as she asks whether they're sure they don't want pancakes or something as well. It's all a little bit surreal, actually, because he's never seen the analyst on the receiving end of anything that could be considered mothering before. His companion just seems amused by the situation.

"Mr Hunt," he says in his cool British accent, laughter lurking at the edges of his tone. Blue eyes slide over to Benji and Luther. "I remember Agent Dunn, but I don't think Mr Stickell and I have had the pleasure of meeting."

Every muscle in Ethan's body tenses. His eyes cut to Brandt, who's shaking his head into his mug, either in resignation or disbelief. Possibly both.

"And yet you seem to know exactly who he is, Mr Bond."

James Bond smirks, shoulders lifting in a careless shrug. "Unlike my other brother, William keeps me appraised of the goings on in his life."

William? Ethan's facial muscles engage in a brief battle between raising an eyebrow and furrowing his brow. Not even anyone on the team calls Brandt Will on a regular basis, let alone _William_ , mostly because the analyst has made great effort to keep a semblance of professional boundaries between them. While his mind fixates on that, Benji latches onto the arguably more significant part of Bond's comment.

"Sorry, did you say _brother_?!"

Luther is looking at Brandt with a new level of appreciation. They'd never really gotten along, for reasons Ethan had wondered about but never bothered to dissect. He'd always thought it was because Luther didn't approve of Brandt's analyst position, but it could have been that he just didn't like the guy's incessant questioning. Or, more likely, he'd dug through Brandt's file and connected Croatia with Julia then adopted the superior position of Ethan's friend and blamed him from a distance. 

But that's not what's important right now. What's important is that William Brandt is apparently James Bond's _brother_.

Either that or this is all a big joke and they're being played. He shakes his head to knock out the disbelief. If they're not brothers, why else are they catching up for ~~coffee~~ tea the morning after a mission?

"Yes, Benji," Brandt speaks up. "He said brother."

The tech specialist's eyes brighten. "Oh my god that is so cool! Why didn't you tell us you were related to _James Bond_?!"

Brandt and Bond exchange looks. "It wasn't important."

"Not important-" Benji splutters. "What's not important about being related to James Bond?!"

Bond rolls his eyes as Brandt muffles a laugh. Ethan knows a little about having a Reputation - and Benji as a fan - but he can't say he's ever had a brother who obviously finds it highly amusing.

"He's really not as special as you think," the analyst says, eyes shining with mirth. 

"He's James Bond!" Benji counters, as though the name alone proves that he should be worshipped. "He's a legend, practically a ghost. The amount of stories I heard going through training - mate you have to tell me whether that thing with the blip was real. And the bridge - did you really blow up that bridge? Because apparently M still bitches about the paperwork that caused."

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you," Bond deadpans, pouring himself another cup of tea and stirring in a dash of milk.

Brandt rolls his eyes. "And people think Clint is the melodramatic one..." he mutters. Ethan opens his mouth to ask who Clint is - there was something about another brother, wasn't there? - but the analyst moves the conversation along before he has the chance. "So now that we've established James Bond is my brother and Benji is a fan, are you going to tell us why you were following me?"

"It was Luther's idea-"

"Oh sure man, throw me under the bus-"

"We were concerned," Ethan interjects. It sounds a lot better than "we were so curious about who you could possibly know in London we stalked you." Maybe not as honest but. They're spies, what's honestly really?

Brandt makes a face into his tea. Bond just smiles blandly. "Completely understandable. William has a terrible habit of getting mixed up with Russians. And exploding landmarks. I'm so glad he has someone to look out for him."

He's treated to a glare for his brotherly efforts. Ethan tries to hide his confusion. Is this a reference to Moscow? An inside joke? A misdirect?

Bond's phone starts to buzz and he barely glances at the screen before cancelling the incoming call. "So, Mr Stickell-" The phone starts ringing again. He rejects the call. It rings again immediately.

"Oh my god," Brandt mutters, reaching across the table and snatching his brother's phone. "You can't just _ignore_ her. You know that doesn't work." He swipes to accept the call with a cheerful, "Good morning, Eve. Is the world ending?" Whatever her reply is has him chuckling. "I'll be sure to let him know. Yes, I'll emphasise the historical landmark listing. And the paperwork." Pause. "Of course. No, I can't do this month. Or the next. How about I forward you my calendar and you pick a date?" A moment while he waits for agreement. "Perfect. Talk to you soon. Bye."

"What was that about?" Benji asks, as unashamed about his nosiness as ever. 

"Interagency cooperation," Brandt responds drily. He turns toward Bond. "And she wanted to remind you that the London Bridge is a not only a major tourist attraction but an historical landmark. And that any damage would incur more paperwork than you could possibly complete in what's left of your natural life. Partly because M would probably kill you."

"It happens one time and they give you all the blame..." Bond grumbles under his breath.

"What do bridges have to do with anything?" Luther asks.

"James has a history with bridges. And explosives."

" _One_ time, William-"

"Twice. Your memory is failing you in your old age-"

"For God's same, I am not-"

Benji leans over to whisper to Ethan as the brothers bicker, "This is weird right?"

"Definitely weird," he agrees. He watches Brandt becoming increasingly exasperated as Bond becomes increasingly irate. "Hey Benji," he muses, a little louder than intended if the sudden silence around the table is any indication. "Have _you_ ever blown up a bridge before?"

Brandt's face contorts in horror. "Ethan, _no_."

\--

("It was all the Americans. I had nothing to do with it."

M gives Bond his best unimpressed glare. "Would you like a moment to come up with some better excuses?"

"I think you're being a bit hasty in your distribution of blame."

M pinches the bridge of his nose as though that could do anything to ward of the migraine this whole situation is causing. "Your actions directly led to the flooding of three buildings and the evacuation of a third of the London Underground. Do you have _anything worthwhile_ to say in your defence?"

"....at least it wasn't a bridge.")

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts/requests are always welcome so feel free to leave them in the comments.


End file.
